Texas governor indicted by grand jury

Austin – Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been indicted by a grand jury for alleged coercion and an abuse of power. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Perry ‘s indictment was handed down on Friday making the potential 2016 presidential hopeful the first governor to be indicted in Texas in almost 100 years.

Perry is now facing two felony indictments on the charges of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant after being accused of vetoing funding for state prosecutors investigating allegations of corruption and political misconduct following threats to do so when a DA refused his calls to resign.

Mary Anne Wiley, Perry’s general counsel, is quoted by the AP as stating of her belief that the Republican governor will be cleared of the charges, “The veto in question was made in accordance with the veto authority afforded to every governor under the Texas Constitution.”